One Adebayo Olamide Azeez, a suspected ritual killer, has revealed how he lured seven women through a dating app, “MyChat,” and killed them for ritual purposes.
The 32-year-old suspect disclosed this on Thursday during a parade held at the Officers Mess, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
He informed that he was a member of a ritualist gang that specialized in killing women and selling their body parts for different purposes.
Members of the gang, including Moses Abidemi Awuraji, Oluwo Samuel Monday, Peter Oluwalolese, Jamiu Yusuf, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, had been earlier paraded by the operatives of the Command. They were arrested over the alleged killing of a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for a money ritual.
He was arrested by the Police after being on the run.
The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, while parading the suspect, said he was arrested on Friday, February 23, from his hideout.
Alamutu said the suspect conspired with Moses Abidemi Awuraji, an herbalist, to kill the victims for money ritual.
“The suspects strangled their victims to death and dismembered their body parts and sold them to Oluwo Monday Samuel and Alfa Ariwo (who is still at large) for ritual purposes.
“The three suspects confessed to the killing of ten different ladies at the Igbo Olomi residence of Moses Abidemi,” Alamutu said.
Narrating how he lured and killed the victims, Adebayo said, “I got the ladies from MyChat, which is a hookup app. I just talk to them that I want to hook up with them whenever Moses Abidemi Awuraji contacted me that they needed human body parts.
“They will call me that they need body parts; I will go on the app and chat the ladies for a hookup. I don’t know the ladies before; we don’t have any conversation before. I only talk to them on the app. I ask if they are available, and we negotiate on the amount they want to collect. When we reach an agreement, I will send my address to them, and they will come over to me at Atan-Ota.
“I will pick them up and call Moses Abidemi Awuraji that they are around; I will then take them to Moses Abidemi Awuraji’s house in Igbo Olomi, Atan-Ota, and inside his sitting room, we will kill them.
“Abidemi’s wife (Awuraji Mariam) will pin their legs down while I strangle them.
“I joined the gang in September 2023, and we have killed seven ladies. These are the ladies that I brought to the house that we killed.
“I don’t know what they use the corpses of the ladies for; my job is just to source for the ladies and bring them in. They don’t usually tell me the amount they will give; at times, they will pay me N30,000, other times, they gave me N40,000.
“I can’t say no to them whenever they ask me to bring the ladies. I don’t know who they sell the body parts to, and I don’t ask them about it. My own is just to source the ladies and collect my money.”
The Lagos State Government has decided to pay the same amount of money, which is N35,000, as a monthly palliative allowance to its primary school teachers, just as it has been done for the secondary school teachers and other civil servants in state employment since January.
The state’s commissioner for basic and secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, dropped this hint during a stakeholders meeting between the officials of the ministry and the leadership of the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) held in his office on Wednesday.
According to a statement made available by the head of the public affairs unit of the ministry, Mr Ganiu Lawal, on Thursday, the commissioner disclosed that the state’s governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had already approved the parity in the payment, directing that all the primary school teachers should also now be paying the same N35,000 with other civil servants against the N20,000 they were paid before.
The wage award is a palliative allowance to lessen the financial burdens due to economic hardship on the state’s government workers, just like many other Nigerians pending when the national minimum wage review will be completed.
In his remarks about the development, NUT State’s chairman, who led the executive committees to the meeting, Mr Hassan Akintoye, commended the state government and Governor Sanwo-Olu in particular for the gesture.
He stated that the development would certainly appease the grievances of teachers at that level of education against the initial disparity.
While appreciating the state government for its unwavering love for teachers and the development of education generally in the state, the NUT boss promised a stronger commitment of teachers to the state education development.
He said teachers’ roles in providing quality education for the people of the state are unquantifiable.
How many of the world’s strongest currencies do you know? On the flip side, here’s everything you need to know about the weakest currencies in the world.
A currency becomes weak if a country’s exchange rate is regressing. This is as a result of internal policies, inflation and the economic situation of the country. It is possible for you not to be aware of the weakest currency in the world but I’m certain you know of the most popular which is the United States dollar. But surprisingly, the dollar is not the strongest (see the strongest currencies here).
The value of a currency depends on the demand and supply while some are pegged – that is, the currency is valued at an agreed rate. The foreign exchange rate is an indicator of a country’s economic wealth. Through it, the economic future of a country is clearer.
Actually, the exchange rate is not usually stable, it fluctuates as dictated by the market. Let’s quickly talk about factors that determine foreign exchange. They are Inflation and Interest rates:
Inflation
If the level of inflation of a country is low, the currency will definitely have higher value but if it is the other way, the value will definitely drop. Inflation is a big influence on the currency exchange rates of a country.
Interest
A shift in interest can have an impact on the currency value. If it rises, lenders will want more interest and this would attract more international investment. This would automatically lead to a rise in exchange rates.
Now, let’s go back to the essence of this article. I’ll break down the weakest currencies in the world from the least weakest.
10. Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
Iraqi Dinar is the official currency of Iraq. Inflation has rendered the currency to one of the weakest currencies in the world. Political instability is a major contributor to the state of Iraqi Dinar. The currency is issued by the Central Bank of Iraq and its first circulation was on April 1, 1932, replacing the Indian Rupee which had been the country’s official currency since World War One. The United States one dollar equals 1,312 Iraqi Dinar.
9. Ugandan Shilling (USH)
Ugandan Shilling became weak due to Uganda policies that have had a negative impact on the economic status of the country. The East African Shilling was replaced with Ugandan Shilling in 1966. Another shilling was introduced in 1987 due to high inflation. One US dollar equals 3,938 Ugandan Shillings at the moment.
8. Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)
Paraguayan Guarani has been affected by high inflation, poverty, unemployment and corruption. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America. Even though the country exports soybeans and cotton, the economic situation has overpowered its effect. Currently, one US dollar trades at 7,278 Paraguayan Guarani.
7. Guinean Franc (GNF)
Guinean Franc is the official currency of Guinea. Political instability and corruption led the currency to its weak state. Sadly, every year, the currency devalues despite having natural resources like gold, aluminum, and diamonds. One US dollar is currently equivalent to 8,597 Guinean Franc.
6. Uzbekistani Som (UZS)
So many efforts have been employed to improve the economy of Uzbekistan but have been fruitless. The industrial output of the country has really declined which is also affecting the currency value. Important to note that Uzbekistan is still grappling with the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. As of now, one US dollar is equivalent to 12,501 Uzbekistani Som.
5. Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
The Indonesian Rupiah has failed to improve over the years. This can be traced to decreasing foreign exchange reserves and the dependence of Indonesia on the export market. All efforts to strengthen the national currency have been abortive. One US dollar equals 15,562 Indonesian Rupiah at the moment.
4. Laotian Kip (LaK)
Laotian Kip is the official currency of Laos People’s Democratic Republic. This currency was never devalued but issued at a very low rate in 1952. The Central Bank of Lao maintains the currency, but it’s among the weakest in the world. The current exchange rate of one US dollar in Laos People’s Democratic Republic equals 20,900 Laotian Kip.
3. Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL)
The value of Leone declined drastically due to corruption and other financial scandals in Sierra Leone. Poverty is also another factor, which led to the downfall of the economy. Leone was introduced in 1964 as a replacement of the British West African pound. 20,969 Sierra Leonean Leone is side-by-side with just one US dollar at the moment.
2. Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Vietnamese Dong is the official currency of Vietnam. The economic situation in the country devalues the currency. The transitioning from a centralized economy to a market based one devalued the currency. The State Bank of Vietnam manages the currency. Vietnam’s currency exchanges at 24,639 Vietnamese Dong to one US dollar.
1. Iranian Rial (IRR)
The Iranian Rial has been affected by different kinds of crises. In 1979, the termination of the Islamic Revolution made foreign investors withdraw from the country; the nuclear programme and political unrest are factors that contributed to the weakness of the currency. As of now, one US dollar is equivalent to 42,055 Iranian Rial.
Nigerian Gospel singer, Moses Bliss and his Ghanaian fiancé, Marie Wiseborn on Thursday had their much anticipated traditional marriage with the hashtags #Foreverbliss #MMBliss24 #Foreverbliss24 at the Underbridge, East Legon, in Ghana.
The traditional wedding ceremony, acclaimed to be a fusion of Nigerian and Ghanaian cultures, including the Ghanaian “knocking” ceremony, where the groom’s family formally requests the bride’s hand in marriage.
The celebration knitted the rich blend of Nigerian and Ghanaian traditions, as the ceremony was thronged with the vibrant shades of traditional Ghanaian attire and Southern Nigeria outfits.
The couple’s attire and that of their families was a harmonious blend of Ghana’s colorful ‘kente cloth’ and Nigeria’s regal ‘aso-oke’ fabric and George material.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the grand entrance of the bride in the popular ‘Adowa Dance’ with her bridesmaids, alongside other traditional dancers.
Moses Bliss and Agyare-Wiseborn announced their engagement earlier this year, had their civil wedding in Abuja, on February 27.
The singer had also last Tuesday shared the news of their marriage with a few pictures from the civil wedding on his Instagram page.
Mose Bliss also expressed his excitement over the new milestone and doted on Marie by calling her his “personal gift from God,” in the post.
He wrote: “Civil wedding done! It’s official I’m legally married to my personal gift from God @mariewiseborn Lord we are grateful for helping us this far.”
The singer posted another video later in evening where the newly weds were seen gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes while exchanging their vows.
Marie sat as Bliss serenades her on a grand piano, singing a song he wrote just for her.
Bliss posted an elaborate posted video of his elaborate proposal to Agyare- Wiseborn on the 19th of January.
Moses Bliss later revealed on his Instagram handle that he met Marie on Instagram after she had tagged him in a video of herself dancing to his song Miracle No Dey Tire Jesus.
“I was like ahh, ‘I like the way she praises God, wow she dances like David,” as they say, the rest is now history.
(NAN)
..seeks help for less privileged
Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, says he has cancelled the yearly birthday carnival for his 67th birthday on March 3.
K1, however, urged his family and friends to rather use the occasion to reach out to the less privileged in the society.
K1, in a statement on Thursday, said the decision was informed by the current economic situation in the country.
The statement reads: “To the glory of God Almighty, I shall be turning 67 years on this planet earth on 3rd of March 2024.
“A joyous day for me, that many of my friends and associates across the globe usually joined with me and my family to celebrate.
“My fans both home and abroad always make the best out of that day in history.
“Now that the day is near and inside of me, there is nothing much happening in our country Nigeria to warrant me celebrating at this point in time.
“Many people are praying for survival at this point, to feed well is a big issue for many, and as someone that benefits from many of this people crying and lamenting, I share in their pains and see no reason I should be celebrating.
“Yes, I agree what our country is passing through now is not permanent and government is trying in a possible way to get things fixed and I believe God Almighty shall open ways and better direction for the leadership of our dear country.
“I, hereby, implore and request all my loved ones, instead of coming to celebrate, eat and drink at this time, please choose this my coming birthday celebration to help someone nearer to you.
”To at least secure a better living at this critical period of our nation’s travails to share how ever small the gift to people.
Lord Lamba shares picture of baby moments after Queen Atang announced engagement
“God Almighty shall replenish your pockets in multiple fold as you choose to get along with me on this.
“I thank you immensely and I shall live to appreciate you all soo very much till my last day on this planet earth.”
…CBN mum over deadline lAs customers lament network failure
The CBN had in a circular on December 1st 2023, directed that banks should place restrictions on all Tier 1 bank accounts without BVN.
Tier 1 accounts are accounts that can be opened with a valid identity or proof of address.
The maximum daily transaction limit for a Tier account is N50,000 while the maximum account balance is N300,000.
According to the circular, titled, ‘TIER-1 WALLETS AND ACCOUNTS: MANDATORY USE OF BANK VERIFICATION NUMBER (BVN) OR NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (NIN), the CBN said: “As part of its effort in promoting financial system stability, it becomes necessary to strengthen the Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures in financial institutions under the purview of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“Accordingly, the CBN hereby issues an amendment to Section 1.5.3 of the Regulatory Framework for Bank Verification Number (BVN) Operations and Watch-List for the Nigerian Banking Industry (The Guidelines).
In this regard: It is mandatory for ALL Tier-1 bank accounts and wallets for individuals to have BVN and/or NIN
“It remains mandatory for Tiers 2 & 3 accounts and wallets for Individual accounts to have BVN and NIN;
“The process for account opening shall commence by electronically retrieving BVN or NIN related information from the NIBSS’ BVN or NIMC’s NIN databases and for same to become the primary information for onboarding of new customers, and all existing customer accounts/wallets for individuals with validated BVN shall be profiled in the NIBSS’’ ICAD immediately and within 24hrs of opening accounts/wallets.
“Effective immediately, no new Tier 1 accounts and wallets should be opened without BVN or NIN,
“For ALL existing Tier 1 accounts/wallets without BVN or NIN:
“Effective immediately, any unfunded account/wallet shall be placed on “Post No Debit or Credit” until the new process is satisfied.
“Effective March 1, 2024, all funded accounts or wallets shall be placed on “Post No Debit or Credit” and no further transactions permitted.
“The BVN or NIN attached to and/or associated with ALL accounts/wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024.”
Vanguard checks revealed that customers of a Tier 1 bank who have not linked their NIN to their account were not allowed access to the account.
A staff of the bank, who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to Vanguard, that the bank had started implementing the directive of the CBN that all bank accounts must be linked to NIN and BVN before February 29.
‘It is true that we have started implementing the directive. We have begun to place restrictions on accounts not linked to NIN. Today a customer called for my intervention because he could not access his account via internet banking.
A customer of the bank who also spoke anonymously shared his experience at the Berger Branch of the bank in Apapa. He said: “The bank staff told me I cannot access it because it has not been linked to my NIN. I had to show them a copy of my NIN slip before I was allowed to access the account.”
Vanguard checks however reveal a different story in most of the banks. Besides sending email and SMS messages to their customers, most of the banks have yet to place restrictions on accounts not linked to NIN.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the branch manager of another Tier 1 bank, said: “The only thing that is mandatory for now is BVN. In as much as the account is linked to a BVN, we allow access for customers. That is the latest communication received from our Head Office.”
Adding to the confusion is the divergent messages from the banks to customers over the deadline for the CBN directive.
While some banks indicated February 29, 2024, as the deadline, some banks were silent about any deadline.
For example, a Tier 1 bank in an SMS to its customers said: “Dear Customer, you must link both BVN and NIN to your account. Visit www.gtbank.com to link your BVN and NIN.”
But another Tier 1 bank, in an email message to its customers, said:
“Please ensure that your Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN) are linked to your account number on or before 29 February 2024.
“You can seamlessly update your account information with your BVN and NIN by visiting any FirstBank branch close to you.
“Please note that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its circular:
PSM/DIR/PUB/CIR/001/053 dated 01 December 2023, has directed that effective, 01 March 2024, all funded accounts without BVN shall be placed on ‘Post No Debit or Credit’ and no further transactions permitted.”
However, efforts to get the CBN to clarify the implementation of the directive prove abortive. A top official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard, “What I can tell you for now is that we have not issued any fresh directive to the banks on the issue.”
Similarly, subscribers in the country are going through harrowing times at the moment as operators’ networks are failing spectacularly.
Since the yuletide, subscribers have had to struggle to complete calls when they manage to achieve connection.
Businesses that largely depend on telecom networks have also suffered massively as voice calls and data services have recorded annoying glitches.
This is compounded by a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission, instructing jamor telecommunications operators in Nigeria, such as MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile to implement comprehensive network barring all phone lines without a link to National Identification Numbers, NIN on Wednesday, February 24, 2024.
Some of the major operators who spoke to Vanguard in confidence confirmed that they had commenced disconnection of all unregistered SIM cards as well as SIM cards not properly registered and linked to NIN, based on the NCC directive.
The operatives of the Nasarawa State Police Command have confirmed the arrest of one Ogeh Bethel Chibuife, a fictitious National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, at the Magaji Dan Yumusa Orientation Camp in Keffi.
In a statement published on Thursday by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Ramhan Nansel, the arrest was as a result of a complaint submitted at the Keffi Divisional Headquarters through a NYSC Staff member.
According to the statement made available to New Telegraph, the suspect was located after a head count of all Corps members who were attending a week-long orientation exercise at the camp.
The PPRO explained that the suspect, who was determined to be an Ebonyi State University student in the Faculty of Management Science and Department of Public Administration, gained illicit entry into the camp.
“She confessed that she was supposed to have graduated in 2022 but had a lot of spillover courses, and in a bid to cover up the lies she’d made to her parents, she went to the market and purchased NYSC uniforms/other items meant for Corps members and sneaked into the Camp to take pictures and send to her parents before nemesis caught up with her.
“The Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, CP Umar Shehu Nadada psc, mni hereby calls on all those nursing ambitions to toe the path of these fake corps members to have a rethink as the long arm of the law will catch up with them”, the statement added.
Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested four suspects for possession of P295 rounds of ammunition and one AK-47 rifle in Tafa Local Government Area of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Minna on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
According to the CP, the suspects were arrested at a poultry farm along Garam/Bwari road via Sabon-Wuse based on credible information.
“On 18/02/2024 at about 1410hrs, based on information received that one Nuhu Abdullahi of a poultry farm, Sabon-Wuse area of Tafa LGA was suspected to be among the hoodlums terrorizing the area,” the CP stated.
"Immediately the information was received, the Police operatives attached to Tafa Div, with Tactical Support Team (TST) led by DPO Tafa mobilized to the poultry farm along Garam/Bwari road via Sabon-Wuse and arrested the following suspects in connection to the information; Nuhu Abdullahi 25yrs, Yahuza Isah 24yrs, Mohammed Adamu 42yrs, all of Dadin-Kowa Sabon-Wuse, Tafa LGA.
"Having arrested the suspects from the scene, an immediate on-the-spot search was conducted in the premises of the farm. Consequently, a total of two hundred and ninety-five rounds of live ammunition of AK-47 rifle were recovered, hidden in different bags of grains within the farm.
"During interrogation, Nuhu Abdullahi confessed that his elder brother; one Ibrahim Abdullahi 38yrs of Mangu area of Plateau State, sent a sum of two hundred and ninety-five thousand naira to him to purchase arms and ammunition for nefarious activities in Mangu, Plateau State.
"The said Ibrahim Abdullahi was equally arrested and confessed to the crime, while Yahuza Isah aided and connected Nuhu Abdullahi to Mohammed Adamu, a vigilante man in Sabon-Wuse.
"Mohammed Adamu claimed that he bought about one hundred and eighty quantity of the ammunition at the rate of two thousand, two hundred naira each from one Rabiu at Kagarko, Kaduna and took the delivery at Jere, Kaduna State, while one other suspect called Commander Dahiru of vigilante, presently at large supplied the remaining quantity.
“Meanwhile, a concerted effort is ongoing to arrest both Dahiru and Rabiu, in order to unravel the source of this ammunition. Case is under investigation at SCID Minna and the suspects will be charged to court after the investigation.”
France star Paul Pogba has been given a four-year ban from football by Italy’s anti-doping tribunal after testing positive for testosterone last August, his club Juventus said on Thursday.
A spokesman for the club told AFP it had been notified of the decision against the 30-year-old World Cup winner, who had been provisionally suspended in September.
“We received notification from the tribunal this morning,” the spokesman said. Italy’s anti-doping body did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP.
Pogba announced he would appeal the ruling, which risks bringing a premature end to his career.
“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he posted on Instagram.
Declaring the verdict was “incorrect”, he denied ever using performance-enhancing substances.
“When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations”, he insisted.
“As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The ban means Pogba will not be able to play again until the 2027/28 season, by which time he will be 34.
Anti-doping prosecutors had called for the four-year ban to be imposed on the former Manchester United midfielder, who tested positive following Juventus’s opening match of the Italian Serie A season against Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
A month later a B sample confirmed the presence of testosterone, and he had been provisionally suspended since.
Pogba’s representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
The ban could have been limited to two years if Pogba had been able to prove he was not at fault, or even just a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and (was) not related to his level of performance”.
Pogba, who returned to Juventus for a second spell in 2022 after six years at United, was a key member of the France team that won the World Cup in Russia in 2018, scoring in the final against Croatia.
His positive doping test came as he was trying to put behind him a difficult first season back at Juve, in which he struggled with fitness problems and made just 10 appearances, while also missing France’s defence of the World Cup in Qatar due to injury.
He made two substitute appearances for Juventus at the start of this campaign before being suspended.
Extortion attempt
Meanwhile Pogba, who was a youth player at Le Havre before a first move to Old Trafford aged 16 in 2009, has been troubled by off-field issues.
An investigation is ongoing in France into an extortion attempt against him in March 2022, which involved a break-in at his home in the Paris suburbs.
Two intruders allegedly held Pogba against his will demanding 13 million euros ($14.1 million at today’s rates).
Pogba’s older brother Mathias is one of the suspects involved in the case, along with childhood friends of the family.
His contract at Juventus, worth a reported eight million euros ($8.7 million) a season, runs until 2026.
However, he has been unable to train since the announcement of the positive test and Juve have suspended payment of his salary.
Pogba made just a handful of appearances in his first spell in England before becoming a star at Juve between 2012 and 2016.
In that time he won four straight Serie A titles and played in the Juventus side that lost to Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final.
He returned to United in 2016 for 105 million euros, a world record fee at the time, and won the Europa League and League Cup in his first season back, playing under Jose Mourinho.
Pogba has won 91 caps for France, and played in the team that got to the final of Euro 2016 before their World Cup triumph two years later.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Capital Territory Command, have arrested three suspects who specialize in car snatching and robbery in Abuja and its environs.
The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Ben Igweh, while parading the suspects, said operatives of the Command on February 16, 2024, at about 3:00pm, acting on credible intelligence, arrested three notorious and wanted car snatchers.
The arrested suspects are David Junior Godwin of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, who is the gang leader; Paul Taju of Gwagwalada, Abuja and Ali Shitu also of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
The CP explained that the suspects are members of a four-man gang who specialize in inter-state car theft and snatching come into FCT, perpetrate their heinous acts and take the stolen vehicles to Port-Harcourt to sell.
He further said that on the twenty-third of February 2024 at about 2:15pm acting on credible intelligence, police operatives of the command from anti-fraud unit arrested two suspects, Abdullahi Yahaya of Nasarawa State and Gold Ebere of Jabi, Abuja, at a garden in Jabi, Abuja in possession of 36 bundles of fake $100 notes, totaling about $300,000.
More...
Paul Pogba has vowed to challenge his four-year ban from football by the anti-doping Tribunal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stressing that he was innocent and that he had never taken any substance knowingly that comes under the purview of doping.
A “shocked and heartbroken” Paul Pogba said his career had been left in ruins after being handed a four-year ban for failing a drug test.
Pogba, one of the biggest names in world football and formerly the most expensive player, vowed to appeal the career-ending sanction, saying he had never cheated by taking a banned substance.
The 30-year-old said in a statement: “I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect. I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.
“When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations. As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against.
“As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
[Leadership]
Bayer Leverkusen winger, Nathan Tella admitted he was disappointed not to make Nigeria’s squad to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Cote d’Ivoire.
Tella was born in England to Nigerian parents.
The 24-year-old was eligible to represent both countries.
The former Southampton player however opted to play for the Super Eagles.
Tella was called up for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in November 2023.
The pacy winger made his international debut in the 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe.
He was however omitted from the AFCON 2023 squad.
[DailyPost]
Russian President, Vladimir Putin has warned of a potential nuclear war if NATO states were to militarily intervene in his conflict in Ukraine.
“The West should remember that Russia also has weapons that could hit targets on its territory,” he told 1,000 representatives from politics, business, culture and religion at his State of the Nation address to both houses of parliament.
The 71-year-old, set to be re-elected next month, emphasised that any escalation and the use of nuclear weapons could lead to the “extinction of civilization.
NATO countries had sent Ukraine substantial amounts of military weapons to try to repel Russia’s invasion, now into its third year, but the Western defence alliance had yet to send its own troops.
The consequences of such a move could be tragic, Putin said, while at the same time rejecting claims that Russia wanted to attack the West as “nonsense.”
However, Russia would further strengthen its western flank due to the supposed danger posed by the expansion of NATO, Putin added.
Although he also offered to enter into dialogue with the United States over strategic security in the world.
Russia and the US had suspended or cancelled several disarmament treaties in the course of the Ukraine conflict.
Putin said Russia would be ready for new talks if the US stopped setting its sights on a strategic defeat for Moscow in Ukraine.
The Kano State government has directed the Bichi Emirate Council to suspend the turbaning ceremony of Salisu Ado Bayero as a district head in the Emirate.
A letter addressed to the secretary of Bichi Emirate Council and signed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Ibrahim Kabara, on behalf of the State’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam, who is the overseeing Commissioner of the ministry, said the exercise should be suspended due “certain exigencies” at the moment.
“Reference to the communication received from you via a letter with reference number Bichi/EM/Adm/018/Vol III/167 with the above caption dated 2nd February 2024. I am instructed to convey the government’s directives to suspend the exercise due to exigencies at the moment,” the letter stated.
The state government, however, did not give the details of the “exigencies” in the letter.
Bichi Emirate Council had on February 15, 2024 written to Salisu Ado Bayero, a younger of Emir of Bichi, informing him of the emir’s approval for his appointment as traditional title holder/district head in Bichi Emirate.
The letter directed the Prince to come to the palace on Friday, March 1, 2024, for his turbaning as district head.